Persistent attempts by Naypyidaw to convince a skeptical world that its attitudes have changed and Myanmar stands ready to join the ranks of democratic nations has taken another self-inflicted blow with an internal purge of the ruling party.

The ousting of Thura Shwe Mann as chairman of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) was widely interpreted as an assault by conservatives on its ranks of important reformists.

Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat.